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Text File | 1992-07-26 | 24KB | 529 lines

File: JAX.DOC Date: July 26, 1992 INTRODUCTION: Welcome to Jacksonville -- Florida's "River City by the Sea," and "the Bold New City of the South." This is my first scenery project, begun in November of 1991, after I bought a copy of Laemming Wheeler's SEE03 (later upgraded to SEE04). I grew up in Jacksonville since I turned ten, and only just last month moved to San Antonio for my surgery internship. This scenery encompasses details of Jax that captured my interest over the years: NAS Jacksonville, the downtown area, and the international airport. Technical features of note include separate mercury vapor and sodium vapor streetlights (visible at different ranges), cars and trucks traveling across some of the St. Johns River's many bridges, raised parking lot and support area lights, and autoloading 'connected' scenery files that include a common thread of basic scenery (basically that scenery found in JAX5.SC1 as currently implemented). Most navigational radio beacons are included (although some Navy stations had to be fabricated in VHF since FS4 won't tune military frequencies) -- just get yourself a sectional and some approach plates and fly IFR! Dynamic scenery including static aircraft and sailboats, and moving and flying aircraft (sailplanes, too!), cars, sailboats, and trucks are found in .DY1 files that are linked for auto-loading with the respective .SC1 files. A DEMO is provided for a brief tour. In addition, a copy of the EGA color-palette-changing program PALET.COM is included along with a batch file that creates a new palette with softer, more realistic colors. If you're from the area, and have an interest in adding to the scenery, drop me a line (or a call or a CompuServe mail letter) and I can provide you with all the various raw .SC1, .DAT, .MAC, .SC0, and other files that were used in production. Have fun flying through Jax! NOTE: This documentation file makes numerous references to FSFORUM, CompuServe's flight simulation forum. If you are interested in computer flight simulation, I highly recommend CompuServe and this forum. ANOTHER NOTE: As for the colors of the hot air balloons, I'm a Florida Gator (and a Princeton Tiger), and my fiance is a Florida State Seminole (and a Florida Gator, whether she likes it or not!). - 1 - FILES: JAX1.SC1 JAX - Southside and NAS Jax JAX2.SC1 JAX - Downtown JAX3.SC1 JAX - Northside and JAX INTL JAX4.SC1 JAX - Westside and Cecil Field JAX5.SC1 JAX - Beaches and Craig Municipal JAX1.DY1 JAX - Southside and NAS Jax JAX2.DY1 JAX - Downtown JAX3.DY1 JAX - Northside and JAX INTL JAX4.DY1 JAX - Westside and Cecil Field JAX1.MOD NAS Jacksonville - Daytime JAX2.MOD NAS Jacksonville - Nighttime JAX3.MOD NAS Jax - Dusk Landing JAX4.MOD Jacksonville - Soaring JAX5.MOD Downtown Jax - Daytime JAX6.MOD Downtown Jax - Dusk JAX7.MOD Jax International - Daytime JAX8.MOD Jax International - JumboJet JAX9.MOD Jax International - Night Landing JAX.DEM Demo file showing off the city JAX.BAT Batch file installing new color palette JAX.DOC This documentation file READ-ME.JAX File if you don't have patience for this one PALET.COM Public-Domain file for changing EGA color palette PALET.DOC Documentation for PALET.COM AUTOFIX.EXE End-User runway deletion program APTFIX.PRM Runway info for AUTOFIX.EXE A4.SIM Michael Binckley's A-4 Skyhawk REQUIREMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS Computer System: This scenery is rather dense in areas. I used a 40 MHz 386 machine for design, on which the scenery is flyable. I would think that a 33 MHz 386 would be about as slow as you could go and still be flyable. To speed up the display, change the display characteristics to MUCH FLICKER/FAST and SPARSE, although this will make buildings look strange. Also, turn off any dynamic weather and unload the dynamic scenery. Scenery disks: SD-7 is required for daytime and dusk flying (or else you'll get no river, and you'll have big green patches of land everywhere). SD-7 is neither required nor recommended for night flight. - 2 - Scenery Settings: Static Scenery - 60,000 Bytes Dynamic Scen. - 20,000 Bytes Active Objects - 20 Autoloading of both static and dynamic scenery must be turned on, and it is also useful to have dynamic scenery visible on the radar views. Display: Flicker/Speed: MUCH FLICKER/FAST Image Complexity: COMPLEX REMOVING SD-7 RUNWAYS: Various black runways were deleted from SD-7 using Chris Manrique's APTFIX. An end-user version (you don't need to register to use it) is supplied with this package to make these corrections. Within your FS directory, type "AUTOFIX SD-7.SCN" at the DOS prompt. Black runways in Jacksonville will be deleted after a backup copy of SD-7 is made. WARNING: If you've already used APTFIX on your copy of SD-7, AUTOFIX will replace your backup copy. Change it's name to preserve it before using AUTOFIX. DAY/DUSK/NIGHT CONSIDERATIONS: SD-7 is required to generate the image of the St. Johns River during daytime and dusk flight, and to prevent those big pseudo-random green polygons from showing up. At night, though, SD-7 provides both light grey roads and a blue horizon line that detract from the appearance of the scenery. My only suggestion is to get proficient at quickly tapping out whatever the keystroke routines are that load and unload SD-7 on your computer, and use them as soon as dusk goes to night, and night goes to morning. If you really like this scenery, or you always fly on the east coast, you can make SD-7 your default scenery by renaming the file F1 to DEFAULT.SCN and then renaming SD-7.SCN to F1 (note that F1 does not have an extension). You'll then have to load the default scenery only whenever night falls (boom!). USING JAX MODES: .MOD files are provided for NAS Jax, JAX INTL, Downtown, and for soaring by Herlong Field. Each of these modes starts PAUSED, and with the ATIS showing for the nearest supported airfield. I have also selected VIEW ZOOM = 0.33, which I prefer for flying. Aircraft have been selected, including Michael Binckley's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk (from FIGHTERS.ZIP) as the default aircraft for NAS Jax. This .SIM file is provided in the .ZIP package. The window sizes have been constructed for the default EGA/VGA display driver. If you use the enhanced VGA driver, or the Mallard SVGA drivers, you may want to download the utility MODCLONE from FSFORUM. It lets you select various default conditions, and then copy - 3 - them to all of your .MOD files. This is much easier than making these corrections one-by-one. USING NEW COLOR PALETTE: I have never been too happy with the really intense colors that FS4 uses. Recently, a palette-changing program was posted on CompuServe's FSFORUM. I wish I knew about it earlier, because I was lamenting the lack of good brick and tan colors when I was designing buildings. After the fact, though, I played with PALET.COM and with PCMagazine's EGAPALET.COM (GO PCMAG -- EGAPALET displays all 64 colors in a grid that counts across and then down in octal). My favorite color picks (not including brick but still somewhat more sedate than the originals) are implemented in JAX.BAT, which calls on PALET.COM, a public-domain program. Just start FS4 by using JAX.BAT. If you'd like to try coloring your own, download PALET.ZIP from FSFORUM, and EGAPALET.COM from PCMAG. RADIO INFORMATION: ATIS SERVICE BEACONS: Location Range Frequency Comments -------- ----- --------- -------- 12296.7742,19004.0705 30 125.40 Craig Field 12358.6994,18928.5268 50 125.85 JAX INTL Made-up VHF frequencies: 12249.0354,18941.8717 30 123.0 NAS JAX (281.0) 12236.0000,18859.0977 30 123.2 Cecil Field (276.2) 12318.8877,198036.3189 30 123.6 NAS Mayport (268.6) NAVIGATION BEACONS: Type Location Frequency Comments ---- -------- --------- -------- ILS 12294.7383,19003.3204 111.70 Craig Rnwy #32 ILS 12358.6994,18928.5268 110.70 JAX INTL Rnwy #7 ILS 12354.0989,18927.7072 108.90 JAX INTL Rnwy #13 ILS 12349.2205,18933.9019 109.10 JAX INTL Rnwy #25 NDB 12342,18892 344 DINNS NDB 12261,18893 332 Herlong NDB 12322,19045 306 Mayport (?) VOR 12138.3608,19079.1358 109.40 Amelia Island VOR 12236.0000,18859.0977 117.90 Cecil Field VOR 12296.7742,19004.0705 114.50 Craig Field Made-up frequencies to simulate military VORs: (for Cecil Field use existing VHF VOR listed above) VOR 12249.0354,18941.8717 114.90 NAS Jax, (Chan #49) VOR 12318.8877,19036.3189 115.10 NASMayport,(Chan#51) - 4 - JAX DEMO: A demo file showing many of the features of the scenery is provided. First load a daytime mode, and load SD-7, then use the DEMO LIBRARY option under MENU #1 to load and run the JAX demo. SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE CITY: Jacksonville is a cool place (colloquially, not temperately) with a near-tropical climate, lots of water, and almost no tourists. It also happens to be where I grew up. What more could you ask for in a Florida city? Originally know as Cow Ford (because that's what they did across the river downtown), the city's name was changed to Jacksonville in 1822, in honor of war hero and former provisional governor of Florida Andrew Jackson. It's interesting that ol' Andy never managed to set foot in the city. The Great Fire of 1901 (not attributed to Jackson, even though it was his style) ravaged downtown, but provided the opportunity for the creation of a twentieth century southern city. Modern Jacksonville is founded around the Navy (with three Naval Air Stations, one Naval Basin, and the nearby Trident missile sub base at King's Bay, Georgia), the railroad (CSX), the port (the largest car import port in the world during the mid-1980s), and insurance companies (at least thirty are based here, I think). Population is about 750,000, with almost all living in Duval County, the borders of which are coincident with those of the city. This makes Jacksonville the second-largest city by land area in the contiguous forty-eight, ever since Los Angeles added a few more surrounding towns. Driving north to south on the highway takes about forty-five minutes without traffic, and the city is even wider east-to-west. Of the people living in the city, few are retirees (as compared to those in cities in the rest of the state), and most love outdoor sports. Golf and fishing are king and queen, highlighted by the annual PGA TPC and the Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament. Sailing, tennis, and water-skiing are also very popular. Even though the Gator Bowl seats 80,000, and most people are diehard Florida, Florida State, or Georgia football fans, the NFL has neglected, and continues to neglect to place a franchise in the city. On the other hand, maybe the college team popularity IS why they have kept a team from us. As far as flying is concerned, the geography is marked by the St. Johns River (the largest northward-flowing river in North America) and the Atlantic Ocean (which is surfable - 5 - here). Jacksonville International is the main commercial airport (also housing the F-16s of the Florida Air National Guard), and Craig Field near the beaches is the main private airfield. Herlong Field on the westside is another private field, sporting sailplane operation in the winter and spring. Mayport has both a naval basin that is the home port for the Saratoga (and used to be for the Forestal until she moved to Pensacola to replace the Lexington), and a naval air station that is home to helicopters from the local destroyers and to various aircraft that come in from visiting carriers. NAS Jacksonville is the southeast's largest anti-submarine base, operating both fixed-wing P-3C Orions and rotary-wing SH-3 Seakings. The ramps that can be seen extending into the river date back to WW II when the base operated PBY Catalinas from the river. NAS Cecil Field is the home of both F-18 Hornet and S-3 Viking squadrons. It is also the home of NARF, the Naval Air Rework Facility, taking care of major repairs and overhauls of naval aircraft from around the country. By the way, no F-14s are based in Jacksonville. The reason that they are seen in the scenery is because they are the only dynamic scenery military aircraft that ASD provides. The dynamic scenery shows sailboats on the river, including two racing on the "not-really-marker B" to the "really- marker C" to #15 course. Also seen are aircraft doing touch-and-goes at NAS Jax. In real life these are P-3s flying almost round-the-clock, but those in the package are F-14s and Lears, since the fabulous P-3s by Rus Phillips can't fly. (By the way, my flying skills are quite rusty, so if anyone else records new dynamic scenery, I'd love to have a copy for myself and for inclusion into this package.) FUTURE PLANS: Of the five scenery files included in the package, only three really have complete scenery. JAX4.SC1 and .DY1 are in need of detailed Cecil and Herlong Fields. Cecil is the main NAS on Jacksonville's westside, and Herlong is a private field near Cecil where most of what little soaring goes on in Jacksonville is based from. JAX5.SC1 needs a detailed Craig Field and NAS Mayport, as well as some beaches details, and, quite frankly, a beach. (In the 1920s Jax Beach was a popular airstrip, since it is quite wide at low tide, and the sand packs well -- this is the same reason that Daytona Beach was the site of some of the world's first automobile racing). I'd also like to create an aircraft carrier offshore with proper lighting, allowing realistic night carrier landings (Imagine pounding down onto that with some turbulence! You'd probably have to turn off the crash detection in order to allow for realistic carrier landing sink rates!). JAX5 also needs a .DY1 file. - 6 - I don't know when I can or will get to these projects, but anyone else who wants to tackle them is free to write or call me. I'll provide you with all my .SC0, .MAC, .DAT, and original non-SEEed .SC1 files. If you have any other ideas, or if you make any changes or additions on your own, please contact me -- I'm really interested to see how this package can be improved. SOARING IN JACKSONVILLE: I have never been soaring in Jacksonville, but I know that there is a small but avid soaring contingent active during winter and early spring, operating from Herlong Field on Jacksonville's westside. Although detailed scenery for Herlong Field is not included in this version of the package, three thermals have been placed near Herlong for use with a sailplane. Two sailplanes, including one just released from a towplane at 3000 feet, are represented in the dynamic scenery for that area. One .MOD file is included for soaring. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Great thanks to: Mike Barrs -- Creator of the Orange Bowl which has been modified to make the Gator Bowl. Michael Binckley -- Creator of the A-4 Skyhawk that I like to fly out of NAS Jax. Neil Birch -- Creator of the birds seen behind the fishing boat. Charles Lazo & Tim Worley -- Creators of PALET.COM. Rick Lee -- Oracle who answered many many questions (He's an FSFORUM Assoc. SysOp whose duty it was to read my questions -- Thanks!!). Chris Manrique -- Creator of APTFIX to remove those annoying black runways. Rus Phillips -- Creator of a killer P-3 Orion, and answerer of many of my questions. The colorscheme of the Orion has been changed to reflect the old colors before the Navy's change to low-vis grey. I did this mainly because for 4000 bytes apiece, I wanted them to be more visible! I also put new props (from Bryant Arnett's windmill) on the one that is holding at the NAS Jacksonville taxiway. Jim Ross -- Creator of OVERLAP and answerer of many of my questions. - 7 - subLOGIC -- Creators of SD-7, in which they did a really fine job placing roads, antennas, and the St. Johns River. Unfortunately, the one building that was put here (the white one on downtown's southbank) is nowhere near anything real that looks like it. Laemming Wheeler -- Amazing creator of SEE and of various scenery elements to use with SEE. He also helped immensely in the creation of this package by answering questions too numerous to count (believe me, I tried!). Steve Wigginton -- Creator of ASDMOVE, and of the farms cut and pasted near JAX INTL. DISCLAIMER: All scenery in this package is the work of David Klein, unless specifically noted in this documentation. Any scenery or elements thereof may be used by other parties provided that proper acknowledgements are given. Users are encouraged to change or to add to this package in order to improve it's "flyability." Those who do so are asked to update the author on their modifications. No elements of this package are to be used in software-for-purchase without the specific written permission of David Klein or the other creators of the specific elements. No warranties or guarantees, written or implied, are included with this scenery package. CompuServe, Scenery Enhancement Editor (SEE), Aircraft & Scenery Designer (ASD), subLOGIC, Mallard, and Flight Simulator (FS4) are all copyrighted by their respective companies. HOW TO REACH ME: Until July 1993: ---------------- David Klein 3500 Oakgate Drive, Apt. 3504 San Antonio, TX 78230-3379 (512) 558-7474 Until Nearly Forever: --------------------- c/o Ruth & Richard Klein 2740 Beauclerc Road Jacksonville, FL 32257-5602 (904) 399-0324 CompuServe: 70410,45 THIS FILE CAN BE PRINTED with the DOS command PRINT JAX.DOC - 8 -